Magura has announced their entry into the dropper post market, and it’s a doozie. Foregoing the hassles of internal routing, and the old-school look of external routing, they instead poured R&D effort into something of a different flavour and went straight to an electronic, wireless execution. Named the Vyron eLect, it uses Ant+ communication technology, provides 150mm of travel, and when fully charged, it’ll spring up to the height of your ass for 40 hours (roughly 400 actuations). Once your 40 hours are up, it enters “safe mode” (indicated by a warning light on the remote) meaning you have 20 more actuations left, so you won’t have to ride down the gnar with a fully extended seat post giving you an unwanted prostate exam.
We’re brewing up a storm here at Interbike; working impossible hours to bring you the newest and wtf-est from the deserts of Nevada. Just kidding, we’re lounging in the hot tub with beergaritas in one hand and cookie butter covered pretzels in the other.
The Vyron eLect wireless dropper comes with two items: The post and the remote. Technically most other droppers have 3; the post, remote and cable, so there’s advantage #1.
The remote doesn’t just control the post; it’ll also lockouts your fork and shock – if they happen to be made by Magura. That means less clutter at the cockpit and more opportunities for x-ups and barspins. Or however you like to get rad.
Activating the Vyron works just a little differently than your garden variety dropper post. There’s no need to hold the button-just press it, wait about a second for it to kick in, then move your butt to the height you’re after, or sit down to drop it.
A single 2032 watch battery powers the remote-something you can pick up at any hardware or drug store.
A servo motor runs the dropper unit, and is positioned at the top of the post, tucked away under the seat. The dropper mechanism is hydraulic, and controlled by an adjustable air spring.
Foolproof: even if the remote runs out of batteries, the dropper can be activated by pressing the white button on the side.
Remove the white cover and behold, the on/off switch and the micro-USB charge port. Which means if you are on an epic bikepacking adventure, you can bring along a portable USB charger to charge the post.
A 2-piece clamp with a rubber o-ring keeps things in place, while making removal very easy.
The Magura Vyron eLect wireless dropper will accommodate post diameters of 30.9mm and 31.6mm, and has an MSRP of $429 USD.
Soon all you will need is two cables from your handlebars.
Comments
DJ
9 years, 1 month ago
ODI grips and compatible lock rings. so 2012.
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yahs
9 years, 1 month ago
If its as good as the brakes they make, this is a def possibility.
Sell reverb cough up a couple hundred =One less cable
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Vik Banerjee
9 years, 1 month ago
One less cable and two more batteries.
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Dan
9 years, 1 month ago
The watch battery needed for the hbar controller will easily slide into my repair kit, and I doubt I'll operate the post 400 times in a single ride. I think this post is a winner - in concept anyhow.
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Stamps Transou
9 years, 1 month ago
Still has the same maintenance issues as every other post…
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Mike
9 years, 1 month ago
I'd probably do this. a minor PITA to swap out posts, but cheaper than owning 2-3 depending the number of bikes you own and your wealth… plus cleaner setup, etc. I'm in.
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Dan
9 years, 1 month ago
Ah good point! I sometimes get nervous about running my Reverb on days at the (junior, for me) jump lines. This would make it easy to remove the post and drop in a fixed post for those days. And I could use this post on other bikes. Good thinking.
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Phil Szczepaniak
9 years, 1 month ago
"wait about a second for it to kick in" - dealbreaker? Did you guys get any ride time on it?
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Pete Roggeman
9 years, 1 month ago
No ride samples yet, Phil. So obviously we won't know how that delay will play out until we can try it.
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Dan
9 years, 1 month ago
Eager to see how it really holds up. My SB66 is not Stealth compatible - this would be a nice upgrade.
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Billy-D
9 years, 1 month ago
Sold! Except for the stupidly large remote. Make that things as small as a locking ring on a grip, and give it a rechargeable battery, and then things would be dialed. Can't wait to here about how it performs in the wild.
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Perry Schebel
9 years, 1 month ago
building it in to a standard odi lockring would be brilliant. the o-ring seems a not so bomber solution.
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AndrewR
9 years, 1 month ago
Unless you don't run ODI grips in which case it would be as annoying as every other remote that assumes everyone like ODI grips.
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Jerome Marois
9 years, 1 month ago
the price point is not nearly obscene as i thought it would.
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Jerry Willows
9 years, 1 month ago
$429US is $565 CDN plus tax. So your looking over $600 for a dropper post. I would call that obscene.
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Rob Gretchen
9 years, 1 month ago
You can get one from zee Germans directly… it will be 400 euros minus 20% for us in Canuckistan… so about 320 euros or $475 Canadian at today's exchange rate..
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Mike
9 years, 1 month ago
i dunno if you already looked, but you were darn close - 336 Euro is the price I see.
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